(CNSNews.com) - In a development highlighted by the McCain campaign, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee was briefed by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe before Wednesday's rescue of 15 hostages held by terrorists, including three Americans.

The rescue took place while Sen. John McCain was on a three-day visit to Latin America, although the Arizona senator told reporters that with the lengthy planning and coordination required, "there's no way possible that it could have had anything to do with our visit, that I could imagine."

Still, the timing was fortuitous for McCain. In a statement welcoming the freeing of the hostages he noted that Uribe and Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos had briefed him on Tuesday evening on the impending rescue, and again on Wednesday on its success.

The U.S.-backed Colombian military reportedly infiltrated the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and tricked a rebel commander in charge of the hostages into thinking that they were being taken by helicopter to the group's top leader.

Onboard the helicopter, members of the military disguised as rebels overpowered the FARC members accompanying the hostages without a shot being fired before flying them to freedom, reported Santos, who said the operation's "audacity and effectiveness" would go down in history.

Among those rescued in time to celebrate July 4 in freedom were U.S. military contractors Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes, and Keith Stansell, who were captured in early 2003 after their plane crashed in the jungle while on a counter-narcotics surveillance mission (FARC killed a fourth American, Tom Janis, and a Colombian intelligence officer who were on board). The others freed Wednesday were French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was in captivity for six years, and 11 Colombian military officers.

The high-value hostages were among hundreds still believed to be held by FARC, and their loss to the Marxist group is the latest in a series of blows which some analysts predict could hasten the end of its bloody narcotics-funded armed campaign.

In recent months, the group has suffered desertions, the deaths of three top commanders -- one reportedly of natural causes, one killed by his own security chief and a third killed during a controversial Mar. 1 cross-border military raid -- and the loss of valuable data seized during that raid which reinforced allegations of links with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Whether intended by Uribe or not, the timing of the rescue -- and especially the briefing of McCain beforehand -- could boost the Republican's campaign by making him look presidential.

(Adding to the poignancy for McCain's supporters will be the reminder that, during the early years of the FARC rebellion, the former Navy pilot himself spent five-and-a-half years in communist captivity after his plane was downed in Vietnam. And, in a startling coincidence, McCain and the three American FARC hostages spent exactly the same number of days -- 1,966 -- in enemy hands.)

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn), who together with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) is accompanying McCain on the trip, saw the advance briefing as noteworthy.

"I think it was a sign of confidence of President Uribe and the defense minister in Senator McCain -- and maybe in the two of us -- that they were prepared to share this information last night, which was highly classified," Lieberman said. The McCain party is now in Mexico.

McCain's Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, in a statement welcomed the release of the hostages and said he would do all he could "to assure the success of future efforts to free the FARC's hostages and to defeat this terrorist organization."

Both candidates have spoken against FARC during the campaign, McCain during his current trip and Obama during a speech in Miami last May, when he said he supported Colombia's fight against the terrorists and would expose and act against "any support for the FARC that comes from neighboring governments."

The candidates also differ on another issue of critical importance to Bogota: McCain supports a U.S. free trade agreement with Colombia while Obama -- along with congressional Democrats -- opposes it.

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